AU2004100533B4 - Diagnostic and preventative maintenance method - Google Patents

Description

P009 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Invention Title: Diagnostic and Preventative Maintenance Method The invention is described in the following statement: DIAGNOSTIC AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to information technology and communications management and operational support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION All companies, large and small using IT hardware, software and communications equipment, using the same technology, share similar issues with regards to the management and support of their IT&C infrastructure. In larger corporations these problems are resolved through a combination of teams of inhouse IT staff and/or outsourcing companies.

Throughout this specification, including the claims, the expression 'IT&C' is used in the broadest sense and includes computers, communications equipment including networking infrastructure and cabling, and software used in or by any of that equipment.

The problem is how to provide the same professional pro-active IT hardware, software communications management and operational support in a cost effective manner, to those small to medium business enterprises ('SMBEs') who, because of size alone, cannot justify those services available to larger organizations.

In many cases SMBEs, because of the cost and the reactive nature of support services, limit the use of PCs to word processors or typewriters.

Small and medium enterprises have to date not had a cost effective management and operational support solution available to them. SMBEs have had to rely on currently available, piecemeal solutions. The current solutions available to SMBEs are: Use the services of a specialist hardware company.

When necessary use the services of a software and/or training company.

Use the services of a friend whose support role is secondary to their normal employment.

9 Use the services of an existing employee whose primary responsibility is not that of IT&C support.

In most cases, SMBEs do not consider in-house operational support and preventative maintenance at all due to the cost of providing these services on an hourly basis.

The above methods are all "break/fix" and have no regard to preventative maintenance or management of the IT&C infrastructure. In addition, business owners, without an in-house IT support, tend to have poor IT management and are unaware of latest developments.

To SMBEs there are many variants to the same theme. All rely on a reactive approach to hardware and software faults and in many cases rely on different providers for hardware and software support. The latest, a cross between a contract and a time and materials support proposal has been developed. It provides an upfront charge per month followed by a heavy time and materials backend. It also either allocates telephone support against the base hours or charges for telephone support beyond the base time. While having an element of "fix/break" in the solution it still does not provide a fixed cost total operational support package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention accordingly provides a method by which an IT&C service provider supplies services to a client's site, including the steps of: identifying a number of seats in a client's site; establishing a service contract relating to multiple aspects of IT&C services for said client's site, the contract including the provision of services of service personnel having differing areas of expertise, the contract having a price calculated based upon the number of seats for which the services are provided; creating a client entry in a client database and generating a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the client's site based upon the number of seats identified in the client's site; allocating suitable service personnel to the site; at least one of said allocated service personnel visiting the client's site in accordance with the established time schedule; while visiting the client's site, the service personnel performing a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks; said service personnel providing further services as required by the client outside the allocated time across said multiple aspects without further charge to the client.

It is preferred that the series of scheduled tasks includes a set of preventative maintenance diagnostic checks.

It is preferred that the time schedule is established with precise times and dates for when the at least one allocated service personnel is to visit the site.

It is preferred that the at least one allocated service personnel reports to a nominated client contact for the site.

The total scheduled time on site of the service personnel is determined on a 'per seat' basis'. For the purposes of the specification and claims, a seat is defined as all the software and hardware associated with a particular staff member, and the supporting infrastructure for that user. It is especially preferred that collectively each PC, server, notebook computer, workstation, terminal and thin client associated with a particular user counts as a single 'seat'.

It is further preferred that the proactive and preventative maintenance services are part of an overall operational support service, wherein the at least one allocated service personnel performs additional operational support tasks when on-site. These additional operational support tasks preferably include, for example, training, system management and system design or re-design.

It can thus be seen that the present invention can provide to SMBEs the same advantages as having an in-house dedicated IT&C support infrastructure which also regularly performs diagnostic and preventative maintenance. When the time schedule is preferably established with precise times and dates, the client is provided with the additional advantage of being able to co-ordinate their maintenance and support needs around these times when service personnel are guaranteed to be in attendance.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, an IT&C operational support service provides personnel to perform proactive, preventative and restorative maintenance services to client organisations as part of an overall operational support service.

Time on-site of service personnel is allocated on a "per seat" basis. The amount of time spent on a site is preferably calculated at 1 hour for each 5 seats.

As an example, a client with 15 seats would expect to have someone on-site for a minimum 3 hours each week, scheduled as two visits (typically one morning and one afternoon).

Charges are also based on the same principle. All other items connected to the network (printers, switches, hubs, routers and the like) are covered under the per seat charge.

Each site is allocated service personnel, preferably one site engineer, whose responsibility is to visit each of his/her clients on a regular basis guaranteeing a minimum number of hours on-site. Each site engineer reports to a nominated contact within the client organisation. While on-site the engineer will perform a series of scheduled tasks, assist users with issues and the like. Should a fault or failure occur while the engineer is not on-site he/she will respond within a previously agreed response time (preferably one hour) and will remain on-site until the problem is resolved. No additional charges apply. If the engineer is unavailable to attend within the pre-arranged response time then another engineer will attend. In the unlikely event that the engineer is unable to fix any problem, the problem would be escalated to his/her superior.

In general each site engineer should, as minimum, have 4-5 years practical experience in supporting a group of users in a SMBE environment. Site engineers should have and will be encouraged to gain certification with all those vendors whose products they support (Microsoft, Novell, HP, SUN, Cisco etc.).

The site engineer will be responsible for approximately 120 to 150 "seats" (3-10 clients).

A site engineer with 150 seats to support would spend, as a minimum, hours each week on-site with their clients. The remaining hours being taken up with training, extended or unscheduled service calls.

On a pre-determined day and time the site engineer will be on-site with their client and will act at all times as if an employee of that client.

While on-site the site engineer will complete a pre-arranged proactive and preventative maintenance schedule, resolve any outstanding issues and assist users where possible. The scheduled tasks include the performance of diagnostic tests to attempt to identify potential equipment failures. Should the site engineer not be able to complete their task in the allotted time they would remain on-site until the tasks are completed.

On completion of their tasks, site engineers move on to the next client.

Should an unscheduled visit be required, the site engineer would respond as soon as possible, the target time being less than 1 hour. In the event the site engineer cannot attend within that time either another site engineer or their supervisor would attend.

Each team of 4 to 5 site engineers will be under the supervision of a senior IT manager.

The IT manager will typically have been in the IT&C industry for a minimum to 15 years, possess some formal qualification as well certification with major IT C vendors.

In addition to their supervisory roles the IT manager will also spend a minimum amount of time on-site each month with the clients under their care.

The amount of time is calculated at 1 hour per week per 30 seats. Therefore the same client with 15 seats would expect to see the IT manager on their site a minimum 2.167 hours (.5x52/12) each calendar month. This time is in addition to any time spent assisting their site engineer.

Each quarter the IT manager will provide each client with a detailed report describing areas of concern and productivity improvement recommendations.

They will also have overall responsibility for the level of customer satisfaction within their team as well as ensuring the site engineers under their supervision maintain their training and certification.

Each state has a state manager responsible for the entire operation within their region. The state managers in turn report to the support director.

No additional charges are made for these 'basic' services described above.

Additional charges are made to clients where: Spare or replacement parts are required; Additional hardware and/or software is required; Where the equipment to be repaired requires a specialist repair centre; Specialist training requirements are required.

Claims (4)

1. A method by which an IT&C service provider supplies services to a client's site, including the steps of: identifying a number of seats in a client's site; establishing a service contract relating to multiple aspects of IT&C services for said client's site, the contract including the provision of services of service personnel having differing areas of expertise, the contract having a price calculated based upon the number of seats for which the services are provided; creating a client entry in a client database and generating a proactive and preventative maintenance time schedule for the client's site based upon the number of seats identified in the client's site; allocating suitable service personnel to the site; at least one of said allocated service personnel visiting the client's site in accordance with the established time schedule; while visiting the client's site, the service personnel performing a series of scheduled proactive and preventative maintenance tasks; said service personnel providing further services as required by the client outside the allocated time across said multiple aspects without further charge to the client.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time schedule is established with precise times and dates for when the allocated service personnel are to visit the site.

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the areas of expertise of service personnel include at least networking, operating systems and applications. 7

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein peripheral devices attached to the client's site are within the scope of the contract. DATED this 29th day of June 2005 NET COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA